How Service-Learning promotes intergenerational harmony...

This study provides information on how including elders as service providers in a Service-Learning project can facilitate reciprocal learning between age groups and promote intergenerational harmony. Intergenerational Service-Learning projects typically set undergraduate students as the service providers and elders as the service recipients, but we modify this approach by having undergraduate students and elders work together to be service providers. Together, university undergraduate students and elders attended lectures of a science course, and applied this knowledge to provide educational services to Ocean Park visitors while in intergenerational teams. The educational services (narration services at the exhibits and interactive games) aimed to fulfil Ocean Park’s goal of providing a richer visitor experience, as well as promote the message of marine conservation.

Keywords: Service-Learning, Intergenerational harmony, Open communication, Reciprocal learning, Science education, Hong Kong, APRCSL, Ocean Park, intergeneration, conservation, elderly.

Tags:Ageing and ElderlyCommunity BuildingEnvironment and Sustainability